Homemade Rice-a-Roni

WhenI became vegetarian I didn’t necessarily have the best eating habits. I was young and still in school. I was busy and ate convenience foods. One of my go-to meals was a box of Rice-A-Roni Broccoli Au Gratin. I’d come home from school and make a box for dinner. Sometimes I’d add in tofu or extra broccoli.

I made boxed Rice-a-Roni, that is, until I learned that it has trans fats in it. Now, I haven’t had it in years.

So, as part of my remaking our childhood favorites, I thought I’d take on the Rice-a-Roni copy cat challenge. I’d say that my Broccoli Au Gratin one is really close to the original, maybe mine is less salty (but that’s ALL good with me!), maybe not quite as cheesy (not a big deal), and mine definitely has more broccoli in it (I always wanted more broccoli in it!).

Now, the Mixed Veggie version has no direct counterpart in the packaged world, because, well, they just don’t sell boxes with that many veggies in them.

I love them both! And, I think you and your family will too.

Chopping the dark green florets off the head of broccoli. If you want your Rice-a-Roni to be like the packaged stuff, chop it very finely.

This is the second in my remaking our childhood foods series. “A while ago I decided that I wanted to remake some of the foods from our childhood. I wanted the new versions to reflect out current eating styles: healthier, less fat, no trans-fats, fewer processed items, more veggies, maybe even just tastier.” Check out the first post, homemade drumsticks.

I love rice-a-roni but haven’t had it for years for the exact same reasons as you! I think it is good that your version is less salty…no one needs all that salt! This looks delicious and I know the kids will love it! Pinning!

I would love for you to come over and link up at Wine’d Down Wednesday if you get a chance. We are partying from now until Friday! Hope to see you there! (Just stop by my site dizzybusyandhungry.com and you will see the party, one or two posts down on the home page!)

Tried the recipe… Not super impressed. The vegetable taste of the broth over powers, (will try chicken broth next time), and the broccoli didn’t cook long enough, ( I will put it in earlier in the cooking process). I will let you know how it turns out. Thank you for the recipe though. 🙂

Sharon, sorry you didn’t like it. Everyone’s tastes are different. Yes, the broccoli is lightly cooked. At these small pieces it cooks quickly, and I’ve never been a fan of overcooked broccoli. And, it’s funny, I’ve never heard anyone who thought veggie broth was too strong in flavor. I guess if you’re used to chicken broth, you’ll probably be happier with that.

I’ve made this a couple times and we always love it! I We like parmigiano reggiano cheese in it or a Mexican blend, usually whatever I have on hand. Today I’m making it with broccoli, yellow squash, and mushrooms that need to be used.

Thank you for the recipe. I just made it in my rice cooker and it worked wonderfully. I threw everything but the broccoli and cheese in the cooker. I placed frozen broccoli in the steam tray. Cooked it on the white rice setting. When everything was done I chopped the broccoli and added the cheese to melt in. Easy and only one dish.

I haven’t had Rice-A-Roni in years. Made this for the 1st time tonight. Definitely will NOT be our last time. Brings back memories – the good ones & it tastes so much better than the boxed stuff. Delicious!!

Jasmine, I don’t use frozen broccoli very often, but I think it would work just fine. I’d thaw it in the microwave just until no longer frozen, then chop it as described, and add it where directed in the recipe. It should work great. And, the cubed carrots will be good. I’d probably steam them in the microwave with a bit of water, covered, for 1 minute. Then, drain off the water and add them with the broccoli. I’m always a fan of adding more veggies to stuff!

[…] Adapted from Dan's Mom beta calories 2783 fat 145g protein 324g carbs 25g more Adapted from Dan's Mom Life Currents https://lifecurrentsblog.com/ WordPress Recipe Plugin by Recipe Card This is the third in my remaking our childhood foods series. “A while ago I decided that I wanted to remake some of the foods from our childhood. I wanted the new versions to reflect out current eating styles: healthier, less fat, no trans-fats, fewer processed items, more veggies, maybe even just tastier.” Check out the first post, homemade drumsticks. Or the second recipe for Homemade Rice-a-Roni. […]

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Hello! I'm Debi, the girl behind Life Currents where I write about mainly healthy vegetarian dishes. My husband eats meat, so occasionally I share some of his dishes as well. And, I'll share tasty treats and projects that we do. Read More…